Rev. Barnes Clark is a native of Tennessee, born on September 22, 1812. He is the son of Isaac Clark, a native of Tennessee, and the son of John Clark, who was a native of Virginia and removed to Tennessee soon after the Revolutionary War, in which he served as a captain. The father came in a keelboat to Big Arrow Rock, Saline Co., Mo., in 1816, and in the fall of the same year removed seven miles above to Little Arrow Rock on the Missouri River. Here he established a ferry, which he ran for three years, when he bought a farm in La Fayette County, where he located, and remained until his death about 1829. The mother was Rebecca (Nave) Clark, also a native of Tennessee. Our subject was reared on a farm, but in 1831 went to the Rocky Mountains on a trapping expedition for the Sublet & Camplett Fur Company. Remaining four months, he came home, but in 1832 returned to the mountains, remaining fifteen months. In 1837 he removed to La Fayette County, Mo., and in 1838 removed to Buchanan County, where he lived until 1882; he then located in De Kalb County. He is a farmer by vocation, but is also a good blacksmith and gunsmith. On February 25, 1836, he was united in marriage with Catherine Thornton, of Saline County. She was the daughter of Daniel and Mary (Nave) Thornton. Twelve children were born to them as follows: Isaac B., born in 1837; Mary J., born in 1849; Euphenia A. (Mrs. William Ferguson), born in 1839; Susan F., now Mrs. Louis Lewis, of Texas, in 1841; Rebecca, now Mrs. Calvin White, also of Texas, in 1842; John T., in 1844; Thomas F., in 1846; Barnes H., born in 1847; Daniel J., born in 1849; Nancy E., now Mrs. Charles Korp, of Texas, in 1852; Julia A., now Mrs. B. F. Thornton, in 1854; James M., in 1857. Our subject's wife died on April 25, 1869. On July 15, 1872, he chose for his second wife Mrs. Sarah Tiller, widow of John Tiller. Her children by her first marriage are Wallace E., John M., Nebuzaraden, Eliza A. (now Mrs. John A. Bowen), and William T. Rev. Clark and wife are both members of the Missionary Baptist Church. He was licensed to preach in 1844, and in 1847 was ordained by a Baptist minister. He has been a member of the Masonic order for about forty years, being the first member admitted to the St. Joseph Lodge. He was captain of a company in the late war, but was in the service only six weeks, when he was taken sick and returned home. Politically, he is a Democrat.
Source: History of Andrew and DeKalb Counties, Missouri (Chicago: Goodspeed Publishing Company, 1888), pp. 553-554.